Bohs to face Kosovan opposition Ballkani after clean sheet sees them through in Conference League
FOCUSED: Bohemians' Dawson Devoy comes up against St Joseph's Juanma and Javi Paul. Pic: Antonio Pozo/Inpho
Bohemians will face Ballkani from Kosovo in next week’s Conference League second round after comfortably keeping Gibraltarian minnows St Joseph’s at bay on a sweltering evening.
Leading 2-0 from last week’s first leg, Bohs kept their heads, while the Saints lost theirs, to defend their lead and complete the tie without conceding.
Francis Ferrón was the biggest sinner for the Saints, as his red card for grabbing Dawson Devoy around the neck with 25 minutes left, stifled any slim prospect of a late comeback.
The Gypsies should have killed the tie before then, as Connor Parson spurned a golden chance to swell the gap to three goals shortly after the restart. He did the hard work in the 50th minute by drifting into the box from the right undetected, only for his finishing to desert him as his curler bent around the far post.
Another opening, created by two substitutes, went amiss in stoppage time too. Harry Vaughan beat goalkeeper Bradley Banda with his low shot but not the upright. The rebound looked primed to be gobbled up by Colm Whelan but he somehow squandered the sitter from close range.
Navigating the first round, on their European return following a five-year absence, bolsters their prize-money to €700,000, with another full-house guaranteed for next Wednesday’s first leg.
All St Joseph’s, who are used to Irish opponents after meetings with Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne in recent years, conjured by way of goalmouth threats was Ferrón’s scuffed effort wide on 24 minutes.
His frustrations overspilled when needlessly getting involved in a skirmish with Devoy after the Bohs skipper was fouled on the halfway line.
That justified decision by the Latvian official made a routine task for the visitors into a straightforward one.
Ballkani – who Shamrock Rovers beat 4-1 on aggregate in last year’s Europa League third round – shaded Connah Nomads 3-2 after last week’s stalemate in Cardiff.
Meanwhile, players were taken off the pitch during Derry City's Europa League first round qualifier with CSKA Sofia as the Candystripes slipped out of the competition into the Conference League.
Violence erupted in the away section of the Ryan McBride Brandywell immediately after new signing Ellis Chapman's made it 1-0 lead to Derry early in the second half, levelling up the tie at 3-3 on aggregate.
A post from Derry City on the social media platform X read; "match interrupted by away fans here."
Eventually, calm was restored to facilitate a resumption of play 13 minutes later and the Bulgarians struck within moments of the restart.
Defensive frailties were exposed by a long punt upfield, allowing Ioannis Pittas to nip in ahead of the onrushing Brian Maher to dink the ball into the empty net.
An own-goal by Barry Cotter in the last of 18 added minutes widened the aggregate margin to 5-3. Derry will now take on Croatian outfit Rijeka in the Conference League second round.
B Banda; G Barba, K Fobi, S Lauture, J Paul; B Pirulo (F Rey 68), B Diedhiou (V Forján 69), Juanma (E de Haro 75); M Rosa (G Moreno 75), A Cadcajo (R Coombes 60), F Ferrón.
P Walters; N Morahan, P Hickey, S Todd, S Mullen (C Byrne 60); D Devoy, J Flores (S Diallo 84); C Parsons (M Strods 60), R Tierney (H Vaughan 84), D Rooney; D James-Taylor (C Whelan 60).
Kristaps Ratnieks (LVA).
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